Koni to Bilstein Struts

['76 911S 3.0]

I have a '76 911S with Koni struts and was wondering how I might go about converting them to Bilstein struts. Any part # off Pelican would be helpful or letting me know how I go about doing this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Jayson

[Rouxzy]

Jayson,
Why would you want to change out the Koni's? Koni's are more expensive but there is a reason for that.
Tom

[Elombard]

On the pre 74 cars the Koni struts will only take Konis. You have two options - Koni Reds or Koni Yellows. Not 100% sure if thats right on yours.

The bilstiens are desirable if you are hard core performance because they can be custom valved to match your car and T bars. For this reason many people fit Bilstien housings from the wrecking yard or???on their Koni cars. It is kind of expensive. If you you are not too track crazy just put some fresh konis in there and dial them up a little firmer. Actually they supposedly dont ware out, you can just adjust the firmness to get back to a like new ride. Hopefully more knowledgeable folks will chime in. The Koni Yellows are 25% firmer from what I hear and can be a bit harsh for the cruising crowd.

[RaceProEngineer]

Jayson,

You do not say exactly why you want to "convert" from Konis to Bilstein struts, so we are all sort of "shooting in the dark" with suggestions.

If you are fitting larger brake calipers, then you must follow Noah's advice to get more clearance. However, if it is shock absorber performance you are after, that is another matter.

While Bilsteins are POPULAR among older 911 owners who use their cars for autocross or driver ed events, they are not necessarily the best choice for optimum performance. EW Lombard points out, and quite correctly, that Bilstein will custom valve their shocks, based upon your torsion bar diameter. So?

What about maximum stiffness during the autocross? Then maximum comfort while driving your 911 home?

What about driver preference and style? (One size fits all!)

What about driver eds at bumpy tracks?

What about when it rains?

Like Tom pointed out, you already have what is arguably the best performance option on your 911, AND you can adjust for any and all of the above conditions. If you have Koni "Reds" and need more stiffness, simply graduate to "Yellows". And do something else with the $$$$s saved.

Ed LoPresti
RacePro Engineering
New York